Rosario Güiraldes, curator of Visual Arts at the Walker Art Center, will research and develop an ambitious exhibition dedicated to the work of Abdias Nascimento (1914–2011). Born in Franca, São Paulo, Brazil in 1914, Nascimento was a prominent Afro-Brazilian artist, activist, and scholar who played a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of Black people and promoting Afro-Brazilian culture. His paintings and drawings, boldly-colored and exuberant, explored themes of African heritage, identity, and resistance against oppression. Güiraldes’ research aims to shed light on the work of this critical figure in recent Brazilian history, and introduce his vibrant and multifaceted legacy to a broad audience. To advance this project, Güiraldes will organize an advisory group and scholarly convening in fall 2024, and undertake a series of research trips to key sites that were important to Nascimento’s life, work, influences, and legacy. The resulting retrospective and catalogue will examine Nascimento’s all-encompassing career as an artist, writer, playwright, Pan-African activist, and intellectual. Scheduled to premiere at the Walker in spring 2027 before a national and potentially international tour, the exhibition will be Nascimento’s first retrospective in the United States.